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Slieve Gullion Councillor Pete Byrne has joined calls for the Department of Health to provide localised information to help alleviate fears around Covid outbreaks in the Newry Mourne and Down District Council area.
Councillor Byrne commented: “We support calls for the Department of Health to ensure that there is localised information available on the number of positive COVID-19 cases in each area. Last month a rumoured cluster in South Down caused huge anxiety to local people and a downturn in footfall to businesses in the area. If Councillors and officials in the locality had access to more specific information, we would have been on hand to alleviate fears.”
“The SDLP believe strongly that having this localised information can help to inform people of what steps are being taken by the relevant bodies to deal with what is happening. It is essential that the relevant information is made available to local Councillors as a matter of urgency and that a dedicated helpline be put in place immediately.”
“Over the last 16 weeks, people have shown a selfless willingness to do whatever is necessary to keep each other safe from the spread of Covid-19. We need to do our part at local government level to safeguard public health and give people confidence to get out into their communities again.”
